Christmas tree stand



Sept. 21, 1954 J. I... WHITAKER CHRISTMAS TREE STAND Filed Sept. 18.1952 Fig. 4

i Jesse L. Whitaker 3 INVENTOR.

Patented Sept. 21, 1954 CHRISTMAS TREE STAND Jesse L. Whitaker, GreatFalls, Mont, assignor of forty per cent to John F. Gretton, Great Falls,Mont.

Application September 18, 1952, Serial No. 310,153

(Cl. {MS-47) 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a Christmas tree stand which isregarded as a novel contribution to the art in that it is characterizedby certain structural distinctions which, taken together, provide whatis doubtless an improved stand.

It is common to the art to provide a stand having a base of one type oranother, means for attachment to the trunk of the tree which is centeredin respect to the base, and various types of so-called diagonal bracesor arms having attachment at their outerends to the base and incliningtoward and suitably secured at their inner ends to the tree trunk.Stands and holders therefore vary from one another in respect to specialstructural adaptations which, generally speaking, may be classified asrefinements and betterments some of which appeal to manufacturers, otherto retailers and users, and so on. The object here is to structurally,functionally and otherwise improve upon similarly constructed andperforming tree holding stands and, in doing so, to provide aconstruction in which manufacturers and users will find their respectiverequirements and needs satisfactorily met.

In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention, the base meansis characterized by an annular wall which is of sufficient diameter andvertical height that, when placed on the floor or other surface, coactsin providing a receptacle into which sand and gravel may be placed toserve as a ballast. Means is suitably fixed at the center of this basemeans and has a spur or prong which centers and partly supports thetrunk of the tree. Circumferentially spaced equi-distant braces areemployed and are joined with the annular wall and have means at theirinner ends to clamp against the tree trunk.

More specifically, novelty is predicated upon the braces which arelongitudinally extensible and contractible in form, which are hinged attheir outer ends to the annular wall and have their telescoping innerend portions provided with pivotally mounted heads having prongs forcooperative association with the trunk of the tree.

Objects and advantages in addition to those enumerated will become morereadily apparent from the following description and the accompanyingsheet of illustrative drawings.

In the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals are employed todesignate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a Christmas tree base or standconstructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view on an enlarged scale taken on the plane of the line2'2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure l; and,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view.

Referring now to the drawings by Way of reference numerals andaccompaying lead lines, the base means is characterized as before statedby one or more essential components. The principal one is that which hasbeen referred to and is again mentioned here as an annular endlessupstanding wall or rim 6. This is of suitable lightweight stock ormaterial and may be some two feet in diameter and perhaps six or eightinches in vertical height. When it rests on the floor it i cooperateswith the floor in providing a receiver into which sand or gravel may beplaced for use as ballast means. A second part of the base means, andthis is usually employed, is a, cruciform component which is actuallymade up of a pair of centrally interconnected members which are notchedand interconnected at their respective centers as shown in Figure 2. Themembers are referred to by the numerals B and I9. They fit within theinner peripheral limits of the wall or rim means For strength it isperhaps desirable to include a third component in the base means andthis takes the form of a shallow inverted pan, the disk portion of whichis denoted at I2 and theannular rim portion by the numeral Hi. Thelatter is welded or otherwise joined (not detailed) to the innerperipheral surface of the bottom of the wall 6. If desired, hole means[6 may be provided for cooperation with a complemental hole l8 and theseseveral holes may be employed to accommodate an electricity conductor orwire (not shown) for conveniently delivering electric current from asource to fixtures, lights, etc., on the Christmas tree.

It will be evident that the base means is essentially characterized bythe annular wall 6 and with the other components 8 and I0 and I2 added,the base becomes a receiver or container for sand, gravel or other heavymaterial used as a ballast and to assist in supporting the Christmastree, the trunk of which is denoted in phantom lines by the numeral 20.

The extensible and retractible braces are denoted by the numerals 22 andthese are at circumferentially spaced equi-distant points and each isthe same in construction. Each brace comprises a socket member 24 whichis pivoted or hinged at 28 between spaced parallel cars 28 mounted atthe junctural portions of the arms 30 and 32 of the angle brackets 34.The vertical arms are fastened at 36 to the wall 6 and the lowerhorizontal arms are fastened as at 38 to the disk part of the invertedpan or bottom member I2. There is an extensible and retractible rod 49fitting into the socket member and held in place by a thumb screw 42. Ahead 44 is provided and this is hingedly mounted at it on the rod andhas pointed prongs 48-48 which are suitably arranged and which areadapted to be embedded in the trunk of the tree as shown, generallyspeaking, in Figure 3.

The anchor means for the lower end of the tree trunk comprises acircular or similar plate 59 secured to the base means and having anupstanding pin 52 with a pointed upper end 54 to anchor itself in thetree trunk.

It will be clear that by filling the receiver with sand, gravel, or thelike, or with water (should the receiver be made waterproof) the desiredretentive properties and stability are had. Prior to loadingthe'receiver, the tree, trunk is anchored on the pin means 52 and thenthe braces or arms are properly adjusted and the assembling andretaining heads are arranged with the spurs 45-48 sticking into the treetrunk. These pantype support bases and stands for Christmas trees are,of course, old and well known. In the circumstances, the manner of useis substantially self-evident.

t is thought that persons skilled in the art to gg which the inventionrelates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the inventionafter considering the description in connection with the drawings.Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary;

Minor changes in shape, size and arrangement of details coming withinthe field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, ifdesired.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A Christmas tree stand comprising a relatively shallow inverted panembodying a horizontal fiat disc portion and an annular depending rimportion adapted to rest on the floor or other support surface, avertical annular wall having its lower portion encircling and secured tothe rim portionof the pan and its remaining portions rising to a planewell above the plane of said disc portion and cooperating therewith indefining base means, a cruciform member fitted into said pan andstabilizing the disc portion and having the ends of its arm portionssecured to said depending rim, a plurality of angle brackets havingcomplemental portions secured to the interior surfaces of said wall anddisc portion and situated at circumferentially spaced points, each anglebracket embodying spaced parallel ears, and a plurality of extensibleand contractable braces, each brace embodying a socket member hingedlymounted at its outer end between the ears of the cooperating bracket, arod telescopically slidable in said socket member, and a head hingedlymounted on the inner end of the rod member, said head having prongswhich are adapted to embed themselves in the trunk of the tree.

2. A Christmas tree stand comprising a relatively shallow inverted rigidpan embodying a horizontal fiat disk portion and a marginal annulardepending rim portion, the latter being adapted to rest on a floor orother stationary support surface, a vertical annular wall having itslower portion completely encircling and secured to the rim portion ofsaid pan and its intermedi-- ate upper portion rising to a plane wellabove the plane of said disk portion and cooperatingwith the latter indefining base means, a cruelform member fitted into said pan in contactwith the underneath side of said disk portion and having the ends of itsarm portions contacting and secured to the interior surface of saiddepending rim, and a plurality of longitudinally extensible andcontractible braces arranged at equidistant circumierentially spacedpoints and having their outer ends hingedly attached to the marginalportion of said disk portion and junctural portion of said annular wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 772,905 Polly Oct. 18, 1904 1,091,000 Lyman Mar. 24, 1914.1,554,656 Presey Sept. 22, 1925 2,296,217 Maloney Sept. 15, 19422,471,124 Smith May 24, 1949 2,532,931 Miller Dec. 5, -01

